


Drifting through the lifestream

by TheSmilingDoggo



Series: Final Fantasy XIV [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:41:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28133358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSmilingDoggo/pseuds/TheSmilingDoggo
Summary: When Y'Shtola drifts into the lifestream, something unexpected throws the whole timeline into disarray.
Relationships: Azem/Hythlodaeus (Final Fantasy XIV)
Series: Final Fantasy XIV [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2051772
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Drifting through the lifestream

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this or not, so let's let ourselves be surprised for now.

Letting herself drift along the lifestream, she made sure her soul was still curled up around her passengers protectively before losing herself in the sights again. Every now and then she would gently prod her passenger, checking to make sure they were holding on or sending some spectacular sight or the other to them. She knew she should be looking for one of the easier spots to slip out, but for some reason the idea of returning only to find the world changed, none of her loved ones alive, or worse, everything the same terrified her. Love, calm, soft the feelings her passenger sends along to her helped her settle her soul back into its resting state. Getting worked up wouldn’t help anyone.

She was just about to send along a funny thought (Builder, Mask, rainbow) when a ripple caught her attention. Ever since that fateful day when the world had ended (fire rain, ear-splitting noise, loneliness) the lifestream had slowed down considerably. Where before she would have likened it to a raging river, it was now no more than a tired trickle. Back then, the fabric of it rippling and moving would have been nothing to bat an eye at, but in the calmness since The End, anything that managed to make it ripple was worth her attention.

Mere thoughts later (excitement, protectiveness, careful) she came upon a sight that, had she been in possession of a body, would have brought tears to her eyes. A lone shard of a soul, struggling against the current, slowly being ground away to nothingness. With barely a thought she stretched out to encompass the shard in her own soul, careful to keep herself (guarded, separated, locked down). Carefully reaching out with a tiny tendril of herself in offering she was nearly overwhelmed at the response (fear, terrified, missing) but just as quickly as it came, her passenger (support, caring, strength) helped her settle the shard down.

Despite obviously not being used to such communication, the shard quickly took to it, learning to shield itself enough that it wasn’t broadcasting its feelings to anyone who dared to stray with their own thoughts. With care and deliberation, she carefully sends a single concept across instead of vague feelings as they had before. It took more effort, but it also allowed clearer communication.

**Snarky-Scholar** the simple words combined with a sense of self quickly came as an answer. Gently prompting her passenger into answering for himself, she turned her attention outwards again. Now that she had more than one passenger, she would have to actually start to look for an exit. Full souls like her passengers could deal with the lifestream indefinitely with the right skills or protection, but a shard would be taxed even with protection. Keeping half her attention on the “conversation” between her two passengers and half on her surroundings was taxing even to her, but worth it. After all, there were few ways to get to know someone more intimately than in aether-soul-communication.

What could have been bells or suns or moons later, she felt something reaching out through the lifestream towards the shard. Quickly latching onto the guiding tendril of aether she moved along it until she came to the barrier. It was surprisingly thin here in some spots. Compacting herself around her passengers as much as she could, she took the aether-soul-equivalent of a deep breath, send her tagalongs one last warning (strength, alert, support), and forced her way through the thin barrier keeping her from the material world.

The first thing she noticed when they came flying out of the lifestream was how aether soaked their surroundings were. It touched everyone and everything, glowing and growing and healthy. Letting out a breath she didn’t know she had held, she kept a careful hold of her smallest charge, keeping her pressed against herself, reconstructed body hidden in the folds of her robe. Her original passenger slowly removed himself from where he had been pressed against her back. Only once she was sure he was back to himself (care, love, strength) did she notice the multiple beings staring up at her, some with weapons drawn, some cowering behind. They were all… so small?

Blinking in surprise behind her mask she crouched down, trying to seem less threatening and wanting to set the now slowly stirring form of the **Snarky-Scholar** down. While she was moving the small beings were talking, but her attention was too focused on her precious cargo to let her translate what they were saying. When she uncovered the **Snarky-Scholar** she felt the tension rising more than she heard the shouting from the small beings. Carefully helping the **Snarky-Scholar** stay on her feet and regain her Balance, she sends a careful thought of (support, strength, care) to her, receiving (thankfulness, care, excitement) in return. She felt her **Laughing-Protector** relax as the **Snarky-Scholar** sent him the same feelings.

Now assured that the **Snarky-Scholar** was going to be fine she turned her attention to the little beings. While the **Snarky-Scholar** was talking to the little beings she focused on her bond with her **Laughing-Protector** letting their gifts combine to allow them to quickly learn the language that was being spoken. “…we have to get you away from them, they could hurt you!” a white-haired one whose aether was similar to the **Snarky-Scholar** was saying. A different white-haired one with a young feel to his aether immediately replied. “They don’t seem to understand us, we should be careful!” Sending (care, worry, support) to the **Snarky-Scholar** she relaxed when the reply of (calm, strength, confidence) came back quickly before they spoke up. “I’m fine everyone, I would be less fine if it wasn’t for these two. If you give me a few minutes we’ll be out of your hair soon, Elder Seedseer.” The tension seemed to relax slightly at their words, and a blonde-haired one flanked by two red-haired ones nodded. “Take all the time you need, Y’Shtola.”

The **Snarky-Scholar** nodded in thanks and turned back to them. Concepts and feelings started to flow from the **Snarky-Scholar** as they tried to convey sentences with the basic aether-communication connecting them. Small. Safe. Big. Threatening. Care. Support. Safe. Blinking it took her a few repetitions to understand what was being asked. (Worry, care, question) came from her **Laughing-Protector** but she just sends (confidence, support, strength) back. Carefully removing herself from the **Snarky-Scholar** and disentangling from her **Laughing-Protector** so that they were two-not-one took time, but she managed.

Focusing on herself she thought for a moment before grabbing onto her traveling form and slowly but surely letting it take over her body. Long limbs shortened as if someone was downsizing her. Flowing grey robes turned into a skirt and blouse. Her mask sank into her skin, disappearing and allowing her purple eyes and fair skin to show. Lastly, the hood vanished, bright red hair carefully braided to stay out of the way cascading down her back, two ears and a tail wiggling their way into existence. A quick look behind showed her **Laughing-Protector** still standing tall, but now also travel-sized-known. She smiled up at him, eyes alight at seeing his fair-skin-blue-eyes again after so long.

Gasps from the little beings and the **Snarky-Scholar** pulled her away from her observation of her bonded. Keenly feeling the absence of her **Builder-Snark** she turned her attention away from sad feelings. Smiling at the **Snarky-Scholar** she slowly raised a hand to wave. { **I am Azem. I hope this form is acceptable?** } When only blank looks greeted her she frowned. A look at **Snarky-Scholar** and then **Laughing-Protector** showed one frowning and one confused face. “From your looks, I’m just going to assume I’m the only one who understood that.” The dragon-kin-but-small-looking being spoke. Young-white-hair nodded. “I fear so, my friend. I only heard bell-like music.” Tilting her head to the side, Azem focused on the way their aether and body moved when they spoke. Turning to the **Snarky-Scholar** she tried again. “I am Azem. I hope this form is acceptable, **Snarky-Scholar**?” A laugh escaped the dragon-kin-but-small, but **Snarky-Scholar** just smiled and nodded. “Yes, it is very much acceptable, thank you. I am Y’Shtola.” She then turned to the blonde-but-old-feeling-Elder-Seedseer and spoke up again. “I assume I have you to thank me for getting me out of there, Elder Seedseer.” **Snarky-Scholar** bowed and continued on. “And loathe as I am to be rude, I am exhausted and would like to speak to my companions.” Frowning up at her **Laughing-Protector** she could tell the instant he realized what she wanted. Azem still had a hold on **Snarky-Scholar** -Y’Shtola and they were holding onto her shoulder to keep steady still. After the Elder Seedseer nodded and bid them on their way, the young-white-hair spoke up again. “Why don’t we convene at the Carline Canopy? I’m sure Mother Miounne will have a room for you to rest, Y’Shtola.” Getting general acceptance to said statement, her **Laughing-Protector** strode forward and scooped up the **Snarky-Scholar** , carrying her like a bride and ignoring the laughed protests.

“Please, lead the way. We will follow.” She nodded to the gathered people and slowly but surely the group made their way out of the glade and through what she now realized was a forest-dwelling-city. During the walk she is quiet. Listening to the **Snarky-Scholar** chat with her friend-acquaintance-companions. **Laughing-Protector** joins in sometimes, confident enough in his ability to protect them to relax his guard and make jokes. He had always been the charming one between them. She twined her aether into his and let her gaze wander, following after him by the tug on her own aether. Without thinking she reaches out to include **Snarky-Scholar** and the gasp from them pulls her attention away from the trees long enough to pull back after sending (sorrow, calm, quiet). Before she can fully pull away, the **Snarky-Scholar** pulls her back (strength, support, care) and she goes back to watching the life stream-aether-currents drifting about lazily.

They end up in a tavern-inn-safe-place, crowing into a hastily rented room. Her **Laughing-Protector** sets the **Snarky-Scholar** down on a chair and Azem quickly moves over so she’s standing behind them. She wasn’t used to being in a body so long anymore. Even before The End, she had spent more time drifting through the lifestream or in her aether-form or hitching rides than in her own body. Before long she would start to feel stifled, in a body on her own. Sighing she leaned against her **Laughing-Protector** as he came to stand next to her. He wrapped his arm around her and sent her (Care, laughter, compassion). She smiled up at him before turning her attention back to the others.

“How are you feeling, Y’Shotla? Who are your companions? Do you need anything?” the small-pink-energy being was fairly bouncing as she shot off questions nearly faster than Azem could follow. **Snarky-Scholar** just laughed and set her hand on top of the small-pink-energys’ head. “I’m feeling tired but otherwise fine, my companions are **Laughing-Protector** and Gentle-Mediator. A cup of tea would be perfect.” Dragon-kin-but-small laughed at that and translated the names into the language the others seemed to understand, even though they admitted the meaning was kind of washed out by doing such. “Did you not introduce yourself as Azem earlier?” young-white-hair looked intrigued as he questioned the names given. Smiling, Azem nodded and tilted her head as she considered her answer. “We come from a time of many names. I am Azem as I am Gentle-Mediator, but neither is my name.” She looked up at **Laughing-Protector** and he pulled her closer to him before giving in to her plea and helping her answer. “Azem is her title, just as Hythlodaeus is mine. Gentle-Mediator and **Laughing-Protector** are aether-names. Where we come from, we words are spoken out loud, instead, we communicate by aether.” Wide-eyed stares answer them as small-pink-energy brings over tea for everyone and then looks between them and Y’Shtola. “Well, I’m just glad we have Y’Shtola back.” Rubbing the back of her neck, **Snarky-Scholar** smiled. “I wouldn’t be here as hale and whole as I am without these two. But that feels like a long story for a day after we’ve slept.” Sharing a glance with **Laughing-Protector** , Azem turned to **Snarky-Scholar** and gently send a thing tendril of aether to her with (question, together, rest). Tilting her head they turned more towards them and sent (question, calm, support). She looked at the other shards and weighed their options. Gently increasing the stream of aether she sends a single memory, faded with time as it was.

{ **Sleep well, my Gentle-Mediator**.} Azem smiled as she allowed her body to dissolve into aether, gathering herself close and sinking into the lovingly offered embrace of her **Laughing-Protector** as _______ joined them on the bed. { **My silly Azem** } he said as they freely shared their aether. (Love, care, rest)

Understanding bloomed on **Snarky-Scholars** face and she nodded before turning back to the others. “We’ll be fine here, they won’t hurt me, and they won’t need another room.” Hesitant looks were shared between the others before they seemed to shrug as one and nodded. “Alright, Y’Shtola, if you need anything, shout.” One after the other they hugged **Snarky-Scholar** before they left, leaving the three of them once again alone.

Glancing between the two of them **Snarky-Scholar** shrugged and stood up. “I’m going to go get ready for bed. You two need anything?” Once they had both shaken their head they nodded and left for the small bathing room that was part of the rooms they were in. With a heavy sigh, Azem sank into the just vacated seat, watching as **Snarky-Scholar** slowly but steadily made her way out of the room. A hand was gently rested on her shoulder and she settled her own over it before looking up at **Laughing-Protector**. (Rest, release, comfort) were sent her way and she couldn’t help but answer with (Love, care, adoration). Without any more hesitation, she allowed her body to dissolve, letting her aether slowly spread through the room in a formless cloud before pulling herself together and settling into the embrace offered by her just-as-formless-partner. Letting their aether twine together they waited for **Snarky-Scholar** to lay down and get comfortable in bed before they let themself seep into every corner and crevice of the room, relaxing and intermingling freely, a thing barrier of nothing hovering over the slowly-falling-asleep-new-old-friend before a sleepy aether-invitation had them all curled in and around each other. One being with no beginning and end, slipping into rest together, dreaming together, feeling together.


End file.
